Pitonyak; David; Ph.D.

The largest part of my work involves meeting individuals who are said to exhibit "difficult behaviors." Most of these individuals exhibit difficult behaviors because they are misunderstood and/or because they are living lives that don't make sense. Often they are lonely; or powerless; or without joy. Often they are devalued by others; or they lack the kinds of educational experiences that most of us take for granted. Too often their troubling behaviors are the result of an illness; or even a delayed response to traumatic events.You might say their behaviors are "messages" which can tell us important things about their lives. In the recent past; I have provided consultation and training for individuals; families and professionals throughout the United States; Canada; Puerto Rico; England; Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. I have worked with people in a variety of settings; including: home and professionally-staffed residential settings; schools; supported competitive job sites; sheltered workshops; and day activity programs.